Apple has long offered workshops and lessons in retail stores around the globe, from how to make the most of your iPhone to a bonafide summer camp – ‘Apple Camp’ – for kids, and as you might expect, they’ve cooked up an offering for Apple Intelligence.
Beginning Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at Apple Stores across the United States, there will be new bit-sized 15-minute drop-in sessions focused on Apple Intelligence. Both the features that shipped this week, iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and a look ahead at forthcoming features like the contextually aware Siri, Genomji, and Image Playground. These new Apple Intelligence sessions join the more formal ‘Today at Apple’ workshops and other drop-in sessions.
So whether you’re confused about Apple Intelligence, unsure of where to begin, or have a specific question about how to use writing tools or clean up in photos, an Apple Store is a place to visit.
Unlike other workshops or ‘Today at Apple’ events, there is no pre-registration for these Apple Intelligence drop-in sessions. At larger stores with a proper video wall, like The Grove in LA or Fifth Avenue in New York City, you might find that Apple retail employees will use the theater with a teaser graphic to tee it up. At smaller locations, you might just congregate around a table to go through the 15-minute or so presentation.
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(Image credit: Apple)
I got a special preview of the Apple Intelligence-focused workshop, and it feels a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure. The Apple specialist will walk you through key features like Writing Tools or Clean Up in Photos and tease out questions to get a sense of what might be the most helpful for the group attending.
If you have an iPhone, you can even walk through the Apple Intelligence features in real time. Demo devices will also be available if you’re tempted to upgrade but want to try it first.
Presenting Apple Intelligence in the drop-in Today at Apple format makes a ton of sense. It lets you go hands-on with many of the new Apple Intelligence features but doesn’t overwhelm you. Additionally, you can ask questions and get walkthroughs. If you don’t happen to walk in when one is going on, you can always ask an Apple retail employee for one-to-one assistance.
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You can also read our iPhone 16 review to get a sense of the Apple Intelligence experience on that device. However, Genmoji, Image Playground, and a ChatGPT integration for Siri should arrive in December 2024 with iOS 18.2.
For the past three years, the rise of IoT, cloud computing, and automation has made manufacturing the most cyberattacked industry. So, what can manufacturers do to become more secure against cyberattacks and avoid further financial loss and damage to their reputation? Cyber resilience requires manufacturers to focus on protecting interconnected OT and IT by controlling data access, network segmentation, and constant monitoring.
With it being the most cyberattacked industry and hacking occurring every 39 seconds, it’s no surprise that high-profile cyberattacks are a regular occurrence in the manufacturing industry. In 2022 and 2023, major car manufacturer Toyota was the center of cyberattacks, with one attack leaving 14 factories shut for 24 hours due to a virus infecting a file server. In the time the factories were shut they lost out on 13,000 vehicles being manufactured – highlighting the importance of cybersecurity to all companies no matter their size.
Reidar Boldevin
Consulting Manager – Security at Columbus UK.
A company effort is required for cybersecurity
A common misconception among many organizations is that security is solely an IT problem, but it impacts customers and employees in plants around the world. Make UK research found that production stoppages were the most common result of a cyberattack (65%), with reputational damage ranking second (43%). What’s more, new customers now want reassurance on details of the cybersecurity in place before signing contracts. So how can manufacturers become more cyber resilient?
Manufacturing businesses can no longer delegate cybersecurity solely to their Security Operations Centre (SOC) teams. Rather, accountability for security should rest with top management across the organization with measures being introduced at every operational level.
1. It all starts by identifying the area’s most vulnerable to cyber attacks
The first step to improve cybersecurity measures begins with an assessment of the current level of digital readiness and an identification of areas for improvement. But knowing how to spread cybersecurity investment can be a challenge. As a top priority, manufacturers need to secure the boundary between IT and OT, and this involves safeguarding critical assets and preventing unauthorized access between systems.
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Manufacturers can prioritize cybersecurity efforts by quantifying risks and assessing the impact on operations in case of outages. Without this step, manufacturing companies will accumulate several security systems that don’t meet their needs and can lead to inefficiencies and potential security risks.
Cut down on response times by planning ahead
Next up is the crucial planning stages. It’s important to have a business continuity plan to ensure continuity during critical IT incidences. This will enable essential functions to continue for a limited time and help manufacturers manage supply chain disruption more effectively. A structured disaster recovery plan, understood by every employee, should follow to establish plans for swift responses to cybersecurity incidents and disruptive events, minimizing operational downtime.
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Once manufacturers understand where the cyber weaknesses are, it’s time to put the defenses into action.
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2. Data protection is key to keep your businesses operations and strategies safe
Manufacturing companies possess invaluable data that optimizes operations and drives innovation but without proper management and security, this data poses a significant security risk. In 2023, the global average cost of a data breach totaled USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years.
Each piece of information, whether about vendors, partners, material quality, stakeholders, or finances can paint a comprehensive picture of a company’s operations, strategies, and vulnerabilities. Financial data coupled up with stakeholder information for instance, could expose vulnerabilities in financial systems or potential points of leverage for competitors. This is where effective data governance policies and procedures such as clear guidelines on data sharing and access, along with strong encryption, can prevent data from falling into the wrong hands.
Data audits can assess the sensitivity and criticality of each dataset, and evaluate existing security measures and controls. Machine learning and AI technologies can help here by identifying pattern anomalies and potential data threats, enabling proactive risk management and threat detection.
3. Get ahead now, don’t wait for the next legislation to come into effect
Cybersecurity is not only a way to protect manufacturing operations as it safeguards a company’s brand perception. Manufacturers can reinforce customer trust by staying up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity certifications and regulations as it signals to the market that the company prioritizes security.
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The Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) is the next legislation set to impact manufacturing organizations that operate in the EU. The Directive aims to build on previous regulations by implementing more robust cybersecurity and resilience standards, as well as more stringent reporting measures in the event of a security incident – but are manufacturers ready to comply?
Failure to prepare will leave supply chains vulnerable
Shockingly, only three-quarters of organizations across the UK, France, and Germany have yet to complete preparations ahead of the NIS2 implementation date in October 2024. When failure to comply with NIS2 can lead to fines of up to €10m ($10.5m), or 2% of an organization’s global annual revenue, it’s important that manufacturers assess how well existing cyber measures will comply with the upcoming legislation.
As NIS2 aims to address the security of supply chains, companies will need to manage the cybersecurity risks associated with suppliers and ensure that appropriate security measures are in place throughout the supply chain. This presents an opportunity for companies to strengthen supply chains and build resilient relationships with trusted suppliers.
4. Access management prevents infection spreading
The connectivity between OT and IT environments allows employees to work across interfaces but it also creates new risks for workstations. An infected work terminal can become a stepping stone to the production environment through lateral movement. This is why manufacturers need to control access to operational technology and monitor network interfaces.
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Access management can help manufacturers introduce new authorization measures, such as multi-factor authentication, that ensure employees only access what they need, when they need it, and from approved locations.
The rise of hybrid workers calls for improved security measures
With more people working remotely and on their personal devices, it’s also important to consider the security implications of non-compliant devices. This is where stronger access controls and authentication methods can keep sensitive data and systems safe from potential threats.
5. Adopt a security-first culture
According to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index report, embedded scripts in OneNote files, malicious links in PDFs, and executables disguised as document files are the most popular methods used by threat actors. All signs indicate that cyber threats are more likely to come through a company’s first line of defense – their employees. So how can manufacturers create a human firewall?
Cybersecurity measures are only effective if employees understand best practices. This is where comprehensive training programs can help prepare employees with the knowledge and skills to adapt and excel with more secure workflows.
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Don’t make life harder for employees
As with training programs, employees will only carry out proper cybersecurity practices if they are able to do so with ease. Robust access management processes supported by efficient tools can reduce delays and frustration for employees while helping manufacturers maintain security standards. Single sign-on for instance, which consolidates access to various systems under one account, improves security and adheres to zero-trust practices without sacrificing user convenience.
A new secure era for manufacturing is on the horizon
Manufacturers cannot get side tracked by new production pressures as additional cybersecurity investment will be key to unlocking increased production.
One weak link could allow a cyber attack to enter the factory and attack their systems with catastrophic effect. Manufactures must act now to increase their cybersecurity measures and prevent the next attack before it’s too late.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
Three Chinese astronauts including the country’s only woman spaceflight engineer entered the Tiangong space station Wednesday morning following an early morning launch into orbit.
The Shenzhou-19 mission took off with its trio of space explorers from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, state news agency Xinhua and state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Among the crew is Wang Haoze, 34, the spaceflight engineer, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). She is the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed mission.
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A long March-2F carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft and crew of three astronauts lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in the Gobi desert, northwest China, on Oct. 30, 2024.
ADEK BERRY / AFP via Getty Images
The crew met with the astronauts from the previous Shenzhou-18 mission, “starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover,” Xinhua said.
The new Tiangong team will carry out experiments with an eye toward the space program’s goal of placing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually constructing a lunar base.
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The space agency deemed the launch a “complete success,” Xinhua said, noting that the spaceship separated from the rocket it was on and entered its designated orbit about 10 minutes after taking off.
Xinhua later said the spaceship had “made a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station’s core module Tianhe.”
The team will return to Earth in late April or early May next year, CMSA Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang said at a press event ahead of the launch. The current crew is scheduled to return to Earth on November 4. They’ve been on the space station for six months.
China’s ambitious space goals
China has ramped up plans to achieve its “space dream” under President Xi Jinping.
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It constructed a space station after being kept out of the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the Chinese Communist Party’s military arm’s overall control over the space program, The Associated Press points out, adding that Beijing’s moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the U.S. and others, Japan and India among them.
China was the third nation to put humans in orbit and has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the moon.
Crewed by teams of three astronauts that are rotated every six months, the Tiangong space station is the program’s crown jewel.
Beijing says it’s on track to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where it intends to construct a base on the lunar surface.
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Only the U.S. has landed a crewed spacecraft on the moon so far.
One experiment the Shenzhou-19 crew’s time aboard Tiangong is scheduled to carry out involves “bricks” made from components imitating lunar soil, CCTV reported.
These items — to be delivered to Tiangong by the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship in November — will be tested to see how they fare in extreme radiation, gravity, temperature and other conditions.
Due to the high cost of transporting materials into space, Chinese scientists hope to be able to use lunar soil for the construction of the future base, CCTV reported.
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The Shenzhou-19 mission is primarily about “accumulating additional experience,” Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told Agence France-Presse.
While this particular crew’s six-month stint aboard Tiangong may not witness major breakthroughs or feats, it is still “very valuable to do,” said McDowell.
China has in recent decades injected billions of dollars into developing an advanced space program on par with those of the United States and Europe.
In 2019, China landed a probe on the far side of the moon, making it the first spacecraft ever to do so. In 2021, it landed a small robot on Mars.
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Tiangong, whose core module launched in 2021, is planned to be in use for about 10 years.
Reddit’s on a roll. The social media platform has just turned a profit for the first time in its 20-year history, and now boasts a record 97.2 million daily active users, marking a year-over-year increase of 47%. A few times during the quarter, the figure topped 100 million, which Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman said in a letter to shareholders had been a “longstanding milestone” for the site.
The company, which went public in March, announced the news in its third-quarter earnings results on Tuesday.
In a remarkable turnaround, Reddit reported a $29.9 million profit, a huge improvement on the $575 million loss that it suffered earlier this year in its first quarter as a public company, though in its last quarter it reduced that to $10 million.
The strong performance is down to ad revenue of $315.1 million, up by 56% on a year earlier, and “other revenue” (including deals struck with Google and AI to allow Reddit content to be used for training their AI models), which reached $33.2 million, marking a whopping 547% increase on a year earlier.
“It was another strong quarter for Reddit and our communities as we achieved important milestones, including new levels of user traffic, revenue growth, and profitability,” Huffman said on Tuesday.
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The CEO said that so far this year, “Reddit” has been the sixth most Googled word in the U.S. as people increasingly turn to the platform for answers, advice, and communities.
“We saw this play out in real-time when the White House came to Reddit to share critical information during recent hurricanes, reaching people in the affected areas with timely updates,” he said.
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the company behind the popular online forum. Last year, for example, Reddit was heavily criticized for its decision to start charging for API access, a move that heavily impacted third-party apps and which caused some to close down.
It’s also facing scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission over the sale of user-generated content for training large language models operated by Google and OpenAI.
Right now Amazon is discounting Anker’s 2-port USB-C car charger down to $13.69, and that’s a pretty good price for a quality car charger that allows you to charge two devices at the same time.
The $13.59 price is also the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this charger. It is worth noting that it has been down at this price throughout the year. Its most recent price though was $16.99, so you’re saving just over a few dollars. Now since this is a 2-port car charger you can keep two devices plugged in simultaneously, but of course, you will need two different USB-C cables.
This is also a 40W charger so both devices can charge at 20W if you’re using both ports. Or at 40W if you’re using one port and the device supports 40W charging.
Anker is using some pretty rigorous safety standards with the build of this charger too, so you won’t have to worry about your device overheating while it’s plugged in. This includes fireproof construction, as well as temperature control and overload protection so your device doesn’t overcharge if it’s plugged in for longer periods of time. What’s really neat are these little spring buttons on each side.
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These are used to stabilize the charger so it doesn’t jostle about on bumpy roads or rougher terrain. The charger is pretty small too. As it’s about the size of your car’s key fob. That compact size will make it easy to pack when you don’t need to leave it plugged into your car.
While you can probably find cheaper car chargers, you want one that’s also going to be quality-made. Unfortunately, a lot of cheaper car chargers aren’t just cheap in price. They’re cheap in quality. That won’t be a problem with Anker.
Nearly every TV on the market today is a smart TV, but not every operating system is a winner. A media streaming device lets you pair whichever user interface you prefer with just about any screen that has an HDMI port. In some cases, such as with older or less expensive smart TVs, a streaming stick or dongle could even be speedier and less glitchy than your TV’s built-in system.
At home, these handy gadgets make it easier for cord cutters to watch the millions of hours of content streaming services provide without cable. And while traveling, a streaming player lets you watch your preferred content on hotel sets (without painstakingly typing in a bunch of passwords or activation codes). We tested out streaming players from Roku, Google, Apple, Amazon and more, gauging the usability and the performance of each to come up with our list of the best streaming devices you can buy.
What to look for in a TV streaming device
Operating system and interface
Google’s TV Streamer, the Apple TV 4K, Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks and Roku devices are the most popular players in the space. Three of those brands also come built into TVs, such as Fire, Google and Roku TVs, but the Apple TV 4K doesn’t come pre-loaded on any set. Each one has a unique operating system and interface. This may be the biggest deciding factor for many people, as it determines how the content you want to watch is arranged and presented. We go into detail for each platform below, but all of them come with home screens that, to varying degrees, gather your apps in one place, present the movies and TV shows you’re currently watching and give you suggestions of other media streaming options.
Nearly all streaming devices come with a remote that lets you search and do other operations using your voice, eliminating the need to hunt and peck at on-screen keyboards. They all offer “universal search,” in which searching for a title takes you to whichever app has it available. If you want to watch Barbie but don’t know where it’s playing, just push the voice button on the remote and say “Barbie.” (We found simply saying the title or the genre you want sometimes works better than saying “Show me…” or “Search for…”) From the search results, hit the play button and the correct app will open and start playing — assuming you’ve previously logged into that app and, in most cases, have an active subscription.
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Connectivity
Most streaming sticks connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, with the majority of them supporting Wi-Fi 5 or 6 protocols. Set-top boxes can also have Ethernet ports, so you can hardwire your internet connection to the device, which is always faster than wireless. Streaming media players connect to your TV through an HDMI port, and most sticks hide behind the screen, while set-top boxes sit on a surface nearby. Nearly all units also plug into an AC outlet for power. Some sticks used to work by pulling power from a USB port on the TV, but increasingly, these devices are designed to plug into the wall.
Video and audio features
If you have a screen that can display 4K content with Dolby Vision and HDR10, you’ll want a streaming device that supports those high-end formats. Of course, even the most top-shelf streamer can’t make a 1080p TV display content in 4K. The series or movie also has to be transmitted in 4K and, increasingly, companies restrict higher-quality streaming to more expensive subscription plans. In short, every element needs to support the video or audio feature, otherwise the highest quality you’ll get will be the lowest of any component in the chain.
Voice control
In addition to helping you find stuff to watch, streaming devices from Apple, Google and Amazon can answer questions about the weather, sports scores and general facts using built-in voice assistants. They can also act as smart home controllers to turn off connected smart bulbs or plugs and show feeds from smart cameras. Just remember, as with all smart home devices, compatibility is key. Fire TV devices work with Alexa-enabled smart home equipment; the Google TV Streamer lets you control Google Home devices; Apple TV 4Ks play nice with HomeKit; and Rokus grant power over Roku’s smart home products.
Below are some recommendations for the best streaming sticks and other budget-friendly options. We also included suggestions for set-top boxes and devices geared toward gamers.
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Amazon Web Services (AWS) is making its Amazon Q Developer AI assistant available as an add-on developers can access directly at any point of their coding, within their Integrated development environments (IDEs) such as Visual Studio Code and JetBrains, the company announced today in a blog post authored by Jose Yapur, Senior Developer Advocate at AWS.
Simply highlighting text will bring up a list of new Q Developer actions as options, including “Optimize this code”, “Add comments”, or “Write tests”.
Selecting any of these, the human developer can enter specific instructions or prompts into a text box and then sit back and relax for a few seconds while Q Developer performs the requested action on its own. See it in action below in an animation posted by AWS today.
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Powered by Amazon investment Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, the feature aims to streamline workflows, eliminating the need for developers to switch between chat and code windows.
Q Developer is available for free to start but with monthly limits on certain actions such as code chatting, debugging, and testing (50 per month), versus the Pro tier at $19 per month with fewer limitations.
A developer’s virtual best friend?
Originally launched as Amazon CodeWhisperer in 2022, Amazon Q Developer began as a tool for inline code suggestions based on comments and existing code.
Over time, its functionality expanded to include an in-IDE chat that allowed developers to generate new code and receive explanations for specific coding tasks.
Amazon Q Developer’s inline chat takes this concept further by integrating suggested changes directly into the code editor, allowing developers to review and accept modifications instantly.
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This approach is intended to reduce the interruptions caused by switching between chat windows and code, helping developers stay focused on their tasks.
The Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, powering the inline chat feature, offers robust improvements in coding tasks and has achieved a 49% success rate on the SWE-bench benchmark, solving real-world GitHub issues.
Integrated with Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Q Developer leverages multiple foundation models, dynamically selecting the optimal model for each task to enhance productivity for its users.
The feature, available in the Amazon Q Developer’s free tier, exemplifies Amazon’s commitment to continuous improvement in developer tools through seamless, behind-the-scenes model updates.
Inline chat actions
Amazon Q Developer’s inline chat feature demonstrates its potential through practical applications like code refactoring and documentation.
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For instance, a developer can select multiple code methods in their editor, describe the refactoring they need, and the AI will consolidate the methods into a single function with optional parameters. This process is visible in a diff format within the code, allowing users to quickly see which lines will be added or removed.
By pressing a key to accept the changes, developers can integrate the modifications immediately, optimizing their workflows.
The tool is also useful for documenting legacy code. With a simple prompt, developers can ask Amazon Q Developer to generate descriptive comments throughout a function or algorithm. Inline chat then provides the documentation suggestions directly within the code editor, helping teams maintain consistency in code documentation across large projects.
Competing Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot
Amazon Q Developer’s latest feature arrives at a critical time as Microsoft earlier today also expanded its rival GitHub Copilot AI assistant capabilities.
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Announced at the GitHub Universe conference, the newest Copilot enhancements introduce multi-model support, enabling developers to choose between models such as Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro, and OpenAI’s GPT4o.
Previously, Copilot was restricted to Microsoft and its investment OpenAI’s GPT series of large language models (LLMs) and open source models.
The newly added support for multiple LLMs allows GitHub Copilot’s developer users additional flexibility. Copilot’s integration now also extends to Apple’s Xcode IDE, providing a broader reach and compatibility with more development environments. Github Copilot is priced at a free tier, $4 per user per month for a Team tier, and $21 for Enterprise tier, each with gradually fewer limitations and more features.
GitHub Copilot Workspace, a new orchestration engine for AI-driven development, allows for seamless transitions from idea to execution, making it easier to address complex coding tasks in an AI-native environment.
This shift reflects Microsoft’s broader ambitions in the developer tools landscape, aiming to establish GitHub and Azure as the go-to platforms for AI-first software development. It’s also notable given that Microsoft has invested directly into Anthropic rival OpenAI, while its cloud rival Amazon has invested directly into Anthropic.
Yet Microsoft and Amazon both clearly want to give their cloud customers broad optionality for the LLMs available through either platform, making it more reasonable and even desirable to partner with the competition (or competition’s proxies).
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A fiercely competition landscape for developer dollars
Both Amazon and Microsoft are actively working to redefine developer productivity through their AI tools. Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot has expanded beyond the confines of single-model support, now enabling developers to choose between multiple AI models for different coding tasks.
By integrating Stack Overflow insights and expanding Copilot’s reach to Xcode, GitHub is positioning itself as a universal assistant for diverse development environments.
Meanwhile, Amazon Q Developer focuses on refining its in-editor experience, reducing friction for developers who need quick, integrated responses to code-related queries.
With Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Amazon aims to enhance Q Developer’s performance on complex, real-world coding problems.
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The broader implications of these advancements are significant. As these platforms continue to integrate more sophisticated AI models, developers are experiencing a shift from traditional software engineering workflows to AI-assisted development that promises to reduce repetitive tasks and accelerate innovation.
For Amazon and Microsoft, this competition is not only about developer experience but also about gaining traction in the cloud ecosystem. As developers adopt these tools, they may become more committed to the corresponding cloud providers, further cementing Amazon and Microsoft’s positions in the enterprise AI market.
Looking forward
Amazon Q Developer’s inline chat provides developers with an efficient, AI-powered alternative for code refactoring, debugging, and documentation.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot updates underscore a vision for a flexible, model-agnostic AI assistant that spans a variety of development tools and environments.
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For developers, the takeaway is clear: both Amazon and Microsoft are committed to reshaping how code is written, reviewed, and deployed.
With Amazon Q Developer’s inline chat available immediately for users of Visual Studio Code and JetBrains, and Microsoft’s new Copilot features rolling out this week, developers have a wealth of options to explore as they look to integrate AI more deeply into their coding practices.
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